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My family and I attended Edison Family Day yesterday in Edison, NJ. This event was held in a large convention center with about 100 vendors in attendance. The vendors included everything from party planners to restaurants and health care centers. While it was meant to be a fun day for our local families, it was more of a large marketing event with everyone handing out coupons, prizes and business cards. While I was walking around with my family, however, I noticed there wasn’t a single insurance company represented at the event. So, of course, it got me thinking…

Since this event is held every year (and maybe there are events like this in neighboring towns), I’m thinking of renting a table to promote myself, NJ’s Business Insurance Lady. While I’m not a restaurant giving away a food sample or a bowling alley giving away free games, I’m sure I can come up with some way to get business owners to frequent my table. Even if they are just the business owners of the other businesses attending the same event, it would certainly be worth it. Here are some ideas for getting said business owners to come to the table to chat:

Raffle off a basket of something like gourmet coffees and hot chocolate with a fun mug or two.

Raffle off a gift certificate for a professional photography session for the person’s business. (Maybe I can get a photography business to donate this since it will be promoting their business as well.)

Raffle off a gift certificate for marketing materials and use that to promote my printing business as well (Your Life In Print).

Use a fishbowl to collect business cards for those who wish to be in the raffle (instant leads!).

Of course, the goal would be to make the table fun, engaging and useful for business owners. I’d also include posters or poster boards with tips on insuring a business properly or questions to ask an insurance agent before switching over to a new agent. And, at the event, everyone walks around with plastic bags they look to fill with anything they can so I’d probably put out pens or frisbees or something with my name and logo on them.

Your turn: Have you ever set up a table at an event like this? If so, any tips for those who’d like to try this type of marketing?